Milk – the only Calcium source?

Is milk the only Calcium source for the human body?

This could be one of the biggest misconception about veganism: “Milk is the only source of calcium and it is very important for bones”.

Not true! Calcium is important for the bones, however, milk is not the only source of this precious mineral. There are plenty of other sources of calcium like legumes, green leafy vegetables, nuts (almonds), seeds (sesame seeds) and the dried fruits.

Many other foods have extra calcium added in them – bread, soy milk, orange juice, cereals, etc. The main difference between the calcium of animal origin and the calcium of the plant origin is in its absorption. Our body can easily absorb the calcium from the plants because it doesn’t enter the body with a large quantity of saturated fats and cholesterol that suppress the absorption.

Nutrition is not the only thing related to calcium deficiency. Regular exercise and proper types of food will make your body keep the calcium. A diet rich in animal protein actually stimulates the body to secrete calcium.

Vegetarians actually keep up to 50% more calcium in their organism than the people who eat meat. Another important factor in calcium absorption is definitely vitamin D.